Salinas Valley Half Marathon

I wasn't planning on running the Salinas Valley Half Marathon this year.  It really didn't fit into my schedule.  I'm trying to pursue 52 marathons in 52 weeks this year, so why would I stress out my body doing a half marathon that won't count toward Titanium?  Thankfully, Ultra Woof talked me into it.  This is the race where we met.  Well, sort of. Woofie and I ran the Salinas Valley Half Marathon last year, but didn't meet until much later.  I had posted on their Facebook page that I woke up at 3am to drive to all the way to Salinas for the race.  Ultra Woof commented that she had done the same.  We quickly became Facebook friends and the next thing I know, this ultra dawg is pacing me to the finish line at all my marathons, ensuring that I get that medal every time!  Happy One Year Running Anniversary, Ultra Woof!  Well, sort of.

Waiting for the farmer to charge at us with a hoe threatening to beat us silly if we didn't get off his property...

If you've been following the adventures of Endorphin Dude & The Chiweenie, you will know that your marathon caped crusader missed a few weeks of running due to injuries.  That damn sciatic nerve caused me so much grief, but I am very happy to announce that I am once again injury free and healthy.  I've fallen a little bit behind on my quest for Titanium, but I am confident that I will reach my goal by the end of the year.  I have a few doubles and two triples coming up in the fall, so whatever I can do now to prepare my body those races I will.  The Salinas Valley Half Marathon provided me with a great opportunity to run a Goofy Challenge this weekend.  After this half marathon, I headed down to southern California for the Run The Forest Marathon, a very small and low-key race in Lake Forest, CA.

Aside from me shocking my body into thinking it can pull off doubles and triples, I was very happy to be in Salinas Valley.  I had an awesome time here last year, and this year was even better because a bunch of my Half Fanatic friends ran it too.  I came into this half marathon expecting to take it easy and having a lot of fun, and indeed, that is exactly what happened.

You gotta love the Half Fanatics!

Elizabeth and Ultra Woof in action!

Love that they put out these signs.  I would not have known that those were cucumbers.

Jennifer in action!

Bwa ha ha!  I am Count Endorphula and I want to suck your sweat!  Ok, that's just gross.  I can't believe I just wrote that.

Mile 8!  That's me doing my Chinese number dance.

At about mile 9, Chris Bliss caught up to us!  What an action shot.

Endorphin Dude & The Moving Molecules.  ROCK ON!

You can probably figure out that I had a lot of fun at this race, stopping along the way to take fun photos.  With another marathon the next day, I figured why kill my body?  I did get serious toward the end though.  At about mile 9, Chris Bliss caught up to us.  This was Christine's 15th half marathon, and she looked strong at mile 9 when she ran up to us.  I took a quick look at my Garmin and saw that she was on track to a PR!  I told Christine that I could pace her to a personal record, and she agreed.  Christine stayed focused the final 4 miles, consistently pulling in a 16 minute pace!  When we reached mile 13, she, Ultra Woof, and I sprinted in hand in hand in hand.  The three of us were ecstatic to earn huge PR's: Christine broke her record by 3 whopping minutes and Woofie and I got our big PARTY RACE!  Woo Hoo!

I don't care that this is the same medal that I got last year but with a different ribbon.  I love this race regardless!

Good times.  I will definitely return to Salinas Valley to run this half marathon again.  Aside from me being legacy, this race is a lot of fun.  It's well organized and the people are awesome. Two endorphin thumbs up!

San Francisco Marathon

Endorphin Dude & The Chiweenie!

When I crossed the finish line of last year's San Francisco Marathon, my inaugural 26.2 miler, I feared that the intensity of runner's high would send me into cardiac arrest.  My heart pounded so hard I thought it would register on the Ritcher scale. It felt so surreal to me. That out of body experience felt like one big fantasy, but it quickly become a reality when the finish line volunteer put that medal around my neck.  I looked at the shiny object and proudly announced, "I AM A MARATHON MAN!"  I never thought that feeling could ever be duplicated again, but exactly that happened today at that same finish line one year later.

Unless you've been living in a remote village somewhere out in the mountains of northern Vietnam, you probably know the Endorphin Dude story.  For those new to the Endorphin Empire, I'll give a quick recap.  Two and a half years ago, a heart attack scare served as a wake up call for your marathon caped crusader.  I knew I had to make some changes or else I wouldn't be able to live past age 37. I took my dog for a walk around the block. That short walk eventually turned into multi-mile urban hikes with the dog. I then started to jog, and before I knew it, I was running. A year later, I dropped a huge chunk of weight, was weaned off all meds, and discovered this little thing called running.

I believe I tipped the scale at 223 pounds in the picture on the left.

In July 2009, I headed out to the Embarcadero in San Francisco to cheer on some friends running the marathon.  Mind you, I knew nothing about running back then, and I actually thought that a full marathon was only 10 miles.  When I saw the look of pride on every runner's face as they crossed the finish line, I felt that second hand runner's high in the air. Endorphins ran amok. Something in my heart snapped, and I found myself proclaiming that I wanted that runner's high for myself. I boldly stated right there and then--in front of witnesses--that I was going to run the 2010 San Francisco Marathon!  Over the next year, I trained my butt off and on July 25, 2010, I crossed the finish line of my very first full marathon.  One year later, I did it again, and it felt like the first time all over again.

The 2011 San Francisco Marathon marked my two year anniversary of running.  The funny thing is that my first marathon was supposed to have been my last.  It was supposed to have been my one and done bucket list race, but somewhere along the way I got hooked.  In two short years, I became a Marathon Maniac and Half Fanatic, completed 6 ultra marathons, 23 marathons, and 39 half marathons, and really made a name for myself in the marathon community. Who would have thought that the fat kid who always got picked last in PE would be where he is today? I am Endorphin Dude and my life got awesome when I put on that first pair of Mizunos and took my first shot of GU. Running has completely changed me, and I seriously do not want to stop.

By now, you probably figured out that San Francisco is *MY* marathon.  This weekend was all about celebrating Endorphin Dude's rite of passage from couch potato to marathon super hero, and I enjoyed every second of it.  From the expo to the carbo load dinner to the actual race, I cherished every moment.  Here is a photographic recap of my incredible marathon weekend.

The slogan this year is "worth the hurt."  Indeed it is!

So I walked up to Marshall Ulrich at the expo and said, "Do you remember me from The Modesto Marathon? I gave you a big hug at the finish line. I was the guy in the cape." He looked at my shirt and said, "That's right, Endorphin Dude! You were the only one smiling, everyone else looked like they were in pain." It was raining hard that day and after 7 hours on the course, nobody looked happy!

Who wants to see Endorphin Dude in a running skirt?

After the Bad Bass 5k, Denver Michelle and I went to the expo!

Guess who showed up to The Endorphin Dude Marathon Carbo Load Dinner?  That's right, Mr. Bart Yasso, that's who!  Ultra Woof invited him and he said yes.  What a treat.

What an awesome bunch.

Mad Hatter Fancy Pants singing Wabbitz's Marathon Maniac shirt.

Good Morning Marathon Maniacs and Half Fanatics!

The start line. Endorphin Dude is in wave two with the elites!

E-Dude and Jessica Wabbitz!

Ah yes, my running partners of the day, Stephanie and Ultra Woof.  Running across that Golden Gate Bridge is pretty amazing.

This was a training run for Hector. The following weekend he ran the Headland Hundred!

There's Sharon!  We met at the Salinas Valley Marathon last year.  She said she was running it again, so the two of us will celebrate our one year marathon anniversary in Salinas!

Chris Bliss not only made signs, but she brought Chewbacca out to cheer!

Here we are right before heading to the half way mark.

Eileen!

Here's an amazing person.  Algis has pancreatic cancer.  He contacted me last year and said what gets him through chemotherapy is reading my blog.  He decided to run his first marathon, and chose San Francisco to be it.  We met up at this race.  Check it out, this guy runs barefooted!

Oh Poop.  I could have used a different four letter word that means the same thing, but I refrained!

There's the 5 hour pacer, Patrick!

Of course, we had to take a pic with The Walking Diva herself, Miss Yolanda Holder.

I got to play Dr. Dude throughout the second half of the course.  Stephanie's ankle was killing her.  Ultra Woof and I were not going to leave her behind.  We stuck together to the very end, and it was so worth it.  

Maniac Girls!

Loved the cheering section on the Haight.

Andrea qualified for Marathon Maniacs with this race!

And there's my buddy Jon, the 5:45 pacer.  I'm so glad we didn't see him earlier!

Two For His Heels!  The Cribbage Crew comes out to cheer on E-Dude!

Finish line shot.

And there's the July Endorphin Dudette, Miss Nadia Ruiz!

Woo Hoo!

Only at The San Francisco Marathon will you ever see me not ham it up for the paparazzi at the finish line. The final .2 mile stretch of this race is my moment, and I "sing like no one's listening, love like I've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth." - Mark Twain. If I could bottle up this feeling and sell it, I would be a gazillionaire.

Titanium scoreboard: 22 down, 30 to go.

When I see my two San Francisco Marathon medals, all I think about is how I no longer have to inject insulin into my body. I have come a very long way, and I am very proud of the person I have become.  A healthy dude is a happy dude.  Life is sweet.

Bad Bass 5k

Seriously, how cool is this medal?

This is the most important weekend of my running life: San Francisco Marathon Weekend!  As you all know, I ran my very first full marathon here in my home town one year ago, and that was truly a defining moment in my life.  Fast forward one year and I'm ready to do it again.  This is my marathon and this weekend is not just about running 26.2 miles, but about celebrating life, good health, and happiness.  I wanted to be well rested for this huge event so that I could fully enjoy every kilometer of *MY* marathon.  Why then did I choose to run a 5k the day before?  Because I am a bling whore, and there's no denying it.  I ran the Bad Bass 5k just for the medal.  Come on, look at that bad ass Bad Bass fish on that medal!  I had to have it!

True confessions: to say that I "ran" this race would be a gross fallacy.  I walked it.  No, to say that I walked it would be another false statement!  Let's just say that I got through this 5k in just a little under two hours.  Along with my partner in crime, Ultra Woof, and my long time Denver running buddy Michelle, we strolled our way through Lake Chabot like little old ladies at the grocery store.  There was no point in tiring out our bodies before the San Francisco Marathon, and we sure had a lot of fun out there.  It didn't matter to us that most of the 10k'ers finished before us.  Heck, it didn't phase us when some of the half marathoners got to the finish line before us!  And you know what?  We didn't even bat an eye when a six year old girl and a four year old boy passed us up!  It was all about having fun, and the three of us had exactly that!

Paparazzi!  Gotta make it "look" like we're running!

This was the "Western States" portion of the race.

Gotta get the BQ!  Who am I kidding, I was running for the BBQ.

Finish line!  We did it!

Presidio Cross Country 5k

It took me 8 hours to get home from Southern California, but I was determined to get home so that I could run the Presidio Cross Country 5k with my running club.  I need to complete 10 races with DSE by the end of the year so that I will be eligible for the Mongo Trophy!  Yes, I am a bling whore, what can I say.  I made it home a little after midnight and woke up early on Sunday morning to get to The Presidio.  I met up with Ultra Woof, "Weird Haired Mom" and her kids, and all my DSE Peeps.

You gotta love this shot.  I told the kids to do something funny and this is what they gave me!

It took my about an hour to get this very hilly 5k done.  At one point it was all uphill in sand! This was not an easy course, especially after having run a full marathon the day before.  I'm glad I was able to get this recovery run in.  My alarm clock was my worst enemy this morning, but I'm glad I got out of bed to run this race!

Woo Hoo! After the race, we all went to breakfast!

The Marathon Show Marathon

I am exhausted.  I am so tired that I cannot come up with a race report to save my life.  Hey, cut me some slack, I was up before the crack of dawn to get to the start line at 3am.  Yes, 3am start time.  I ran the marathon in the dark and after I crossed the finish line, I drove 425 miles back home to run another race the next day.  To top it off, I was stuck in LA traffic for hours!

Because I am so exhausted, I am going to steal the description of this race from The Marathon Show website.  I know the host, so I don't think he'll mind.  I hope he doesn't mind!  I will give him full credit!  Ladies and Gentle Peeps of the Endorphin Empire, I give you the host of The Marathon Show, Mr. Joe Taricani!  Voila:

Back row from left to right: Jessica Wabbitz, Elizabeth McKay, Chewbacca, Endorphin Dude, Yolanda "Walking Diva" Holder, Jim Simpson, Marina "Vasolina" White, Ryan Launder.  Front Row from left to right: Dianasaur Kitching, Andrea Kooiman, Luigi Giovanni, Joe Taricani.

The Marathon Show Marathon was held July 23, 2011 in Newport Beach, CA. The race was billed as “Small, Free, Fun and Different.” The race was hosted by The Marathon Show host, Joe Taricani in his neighborhood. The race was 100% free and people registered on a first-come, first-served basis. It was certainly small – only 11 people started the race. What made it different was the manner in which the race was started. Everyone ran with a goal of finishing at 10:00 am which meant people started running between 2:50 am and 6:00 am. The race was run on a 3.03 mile loop course so everyone got to visit on the course a couple times. “We finished in a city park, sat in the shade and celebrated together as everyone came across the finish line,” said Joe. With thanks to Allied Running Medal Hangers in Redmond, WA, each participant was given a special chrome medal in the shape of The Marathon Show logo.

There's Endorphin with the race director, Mr. Marathon Show himself, Joe Taricani.  Chewbacca ran this race bandit and cranked out a 10k!

I had a great time running this race.  I got to hang out with a bunch of my Marathon Maniac friends and I got to meet some new runners.  I liked the intimacy of this small race and I loved that we all finished at the same time.  Well, almost.  People did wait around for Endorphin Dude and The Epinephrine Pup to finish.  I also liked that we got super cool medals.  I really wasn't expecting anything, so to have such a shiny piece of bling around my neck is awesome.  Thanks Joe for putting on this race.  I hope you do it again soon!

Titanium score board: 21 down, 31 to go!